The Secrets of Jack Frost
by WinterCrystal1009
Summary: Being a basic outcast for 300 years has to make you have some secrets. Jack is no exception. Add the fact that the Guardians are now starting to know more about the wintry lad, it's time for some of those said secrets to be uncovered. Although, that doesn't mean that they all won't go through the stage of discovery together. (Series of one shots that may or may not be connected)
1. The Secret of Reading

**Hey guys! Because of the fact that I'm practicing Ramadan, I won't be able to write or read any violent, angsty, romantical things. Basically saying, I can't write for Restoring Balance or my Jackrabbit oneshots. As a result, I created this! I might continue this into a tiny collection of oneshots, or not, idk yet. I'll just see how busy I am. Also, these will not be beta read as they are all simple freewrites.**

* * *

Jack may never, _ever_ admit this to anyone, but he absolutely loved reading. Shakespeare, Poe, Twain, you name it! Heck, he was friends with a lot of writers back when he wasn't an expression. After all, he literally had centuries of boredom that seriously needed to be filled up with something more than snowball fights and Winter. Okay, snow and fun took up at least 80% of his time, but still!

Anyway, the bad part of his bibliophilic tendencies was that he's read _way_ too many books in his lifetime. At least, too many adventure and fantasy/sci-fi books.

If only North's library was filled with more fun books.

Jack sighed as his blue eyes scanned through the dusty shelves near the dome roof of North's massive library, huffing as he zipped across the area. _The Hobbit_ , just not his style; _Les Miserables_ , read too many times in five different languages; _The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin_ , he was literally Twain's inspiration for Huck; _The Complete Set of Grimm Tales_ , why in Tsar Lunar did North have that!

 _To Kill a Mockingbird_ , eh he could reread it for the third time.

Quelling his need for a book, the wintry teen took the dust covered novel out in a fluid motion. Floating back down, Jack settled down onto a red, plush armchair. After turning on the desk lamp on the circular, oak side table beside him, Jack placed his aged staff against the chair, the hook on the embroidered candy cane trim on his seat. He nestled in the comfy chair, his slim, khaki clad legs propping up his book, but his baggy sleeves from his dark blue, frosted hoodie obstructing his reading. Still, he soon delved into the world of Maycomb with dulled interest.

He finished the book in three hours flat.

"Oh c'mon!" Jack cried out, glaring at the grandfather clock set up in the front of the room, "It's only 10 am? I still have eight more hours till the Guardian meeting!"

If only North wasn't so adamant a out staying at the Pole on the day of a meeting. Sure he missed five in a row, but this was just ridiculous!

Huffing, Jack rose up, placing the book on the table, and continued his search. He quickly spotted the original, Russian version of _Anna Karenina,_ the text extracted from its magazine format into a book, and took it. He hated royalty novels, but what else could he do?

He lounged back into his chair, white hair disleveled, and started to force himself to read the flowing, Russian text. Once Jack reached Count Karenina's confession about her affair with Vronsky, he got sucked into the plot and couldn't stop reading, taking his time to absorb the pain and grief in the story.

Soon, he forgot to check the time, the clock ringing 6 pm.

* * *

Bunny was livid. It's been over half an hour, and Frostbite _still_ hadn't shown up for their Guardian meeting. There was only so much he could do as sunset approached the North Pole, and he wasn't in the mood to stare at the towering globe of lights.

"North, where is that bloody showpony?" Bunny crossed his furry arms together, tapping his foot impatiently as he looked at his fellow Guardians.

Norh shook his head, shrugging. "Maybe he fell asleep?"

"Since when did the little bugga' sleep, North?" The Pookan countered, looking towards Sandy.

The golden man nodded, forming little Zs above his head and promptly crossing them out. _He's not asleep_.

"Oh dear, what if Sweet Tooth is hurt?" Tooth fretted as she gave her mini fairies instructions, her green feathers basked in the evening sunlight.

"Neh, he's a tough shell to break, Shiela," Bunny reassured the distressed fairy, knowing very well that this had to be some sort of prank.

Then again, this really isn't Frostbite's style.

Before he could contemplate it even more, Phil, or so the boy nicknamed North's Head Yeti, ran into the room, waving his hands around in enthusiasm. "Argh garglab!"

"You found Jack?" North turned to the furry creature. "Where is the boy?"

"Gah larg grah."

North blinked his eyes in astonishment. "Really?"

"What's the news?" Bunny stared at the jolly man, his green eyes flickering with anger at Frost.

"He is at..." North trailed off, pestering the humanoid rabbit even more, "...library."

"What?" Bunny deadpanned, "This has got to be some sort of joke."

"What's wrong with Sweet Tooth reading?" Tooth asked, a dreamy look on her eyes, "I honestly think it's adorable to think about."

Sandy agreed with her, flashing a snowflake with mini fairies fainting around it.

"Should we check on him?" North suggested.

Bunny sighed. "Might as well. He might just be playin' around and destroying books."

"Oh Bunny, Jack isn't naughty enough to destroy the books," Tooth disgressed, her feathers ruffled.

"He made my Warren into a Winter Wonderland so many times that I ought to kick out that slip of wind," the Pookan stated, earning a condescending glare from the Tooth Fairy.

The female crossed her arms. "He doesn't deserve any doubts, Bunny! Give him a chance."

"Give him a chance of what? Creating chaos?" Bunny shot back, "Plus, North's spell books are in there, only Manny knows what the kid would do with 'em."

North's blue eyes suddenly widened as if he'd never thought of that possibility. "Me spell books!"

The burly man then dashed off with Phil. Bunny huffed, leave it to the man to abandon his guests. Shaking his head, the anthropod followed him, not checking to see whether or not the others were coming with them.

* * *

Jack was still reading when he noticed the old, mahgony door opening again. Assuming it was Phil, he continued on, body resting on his chair's cushioned armrest, book on the top of the seat.

"Is tha' Russian!"

The teen jumped at Bunny's shout, falling off the armrest he was on. His head banged against the wooden table beside him, causing his staff to whack his back. He was in an utter, tangled mess.

Once Jack found his book, he pouted. "Oh c'mon Kangaroo, now I lost my place!"

North quickly took the novel out of Jack's hands, earning an indignant squeak from the wintry boy. " _Anna Karenina_! Is good book, no?"

Jack nodded his head in earnest, momentarily forgetting his annoyance at the Kangaroo. "Mhmm! I can't believe Count Karenina wants to be with Vronsky, even though she already has a husband!"

Before North could add in something, Bunny interjected, "Why is it that I'm the one who's shocked that Frostbite knows Russian?"

Jack winced. "Yeah about that, I know how to read at least a dozen languages."

"What, how?!"

The boy answered back, "Ehh, just caught them from here and there. I know how to speak in even more languages though."

"Yes, someone else who knows a lot of languages!" Tooth cheered, "One day we could exchange languages, Sweet Tooth!"

"Uh, sure!" Jack then snatched back his book, flipping through the pages to find where he stopped. "So, what are all of you guys doing here?"

Bunny facepalmed. "Mate, did'ja forget that today was a Guardian meeting?"

"No? I wouldn't even be here if I forgot," Jack countered, "Wait, what time is it?"

Sandy showed a clock spinning to seven. _7 pm._

"Shoot! I've been reading all day?" Jack dropped his book onto the chair, grabbing his staff from the floor, "Sorry guys!"

"It's alright, it was only a check up meeting anyway," Tooth explained, "We'll just leave now, considering that we're all fine."

"I came here to this bloody tundra, only to leave?" Bunny whined, gritting his teeth, "You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope Kangaroo," Jack announced, "Now, does that mean I can go back to my story?"

"First of all Frostbite, I'm not a kangaroo!" Bunny yelled, "And second, I'll drag your arse to that Globe Room even if I have to chase you!"

The teen laughed. "Is that a challenge, Cottontail?"

"Oh you don't wanna race a rabbit, Mate," Bunny warned, blinking when he saw the boy was gone, "Oh it's on!"

With that, Bunny dashed off, leaving the other Guardians in the library with nothing to do.

"What do we do now, North?" Tooth questioned.

The man just shrugged, noticing _To Kill a Mockingbird_ on the floor and picking it up. "Book?"

* * *

 **Okay, not the best ending, but my glitchy phone is annoying the living daylights out of me! As for the fact that Jack knows Twain and such, that's actually canon. William Joyce said that Jack's known a multitude of authors in their lives, which made me think, "Wouldn't that make Jack interested in reading?" Basically, that's why I wrote this lol.**

 **Although, this was really trashy compared to my other fanfics. Blegh, oh well.**


	2. The Secret of Bullies

**I know I said that I can't write any angsty chapters once Ramadan started (and it already has a LONG time ago lol), but I had no clue that implied to the times when you're NOT fasting, and I wrote all the semi violent stuff before I realized that. I'm still keep keeping this K+ cuz this'll be the only time I write angst.**

 **Btw, I'm using my Restoring Balance headcanon that he can't bleed, so he won't have actual bruises but rather bad welts. Though , THIS SERIES OF ONESHOTS DOESN'T FOLLOW RESTORING BALANCE. Just wanted to clarify that this is parallel to my other fanfics since my last oneshot, _Happy New Year, Jack Frost!_ , was part of the Restoring Balance world :P**

* * *

Everything hurt. His legs, arms, face, just _everything_. It was as if fire coursed through his entire being, and judging from the numerous burns all over him, it probably was. If only he could just pass out, so he wouldn't have to deal with all this agony from his inflictors.

Looking around at the now nearly empty field, his cerulean blue eyes glared at the leader of the group of spirits, a Summer spirit named Sid. He was much taller than the others, a staggering 6 ft 5, and if the winter teen had to guess, was also much more powerful. Clad in a pair of dark blue jeans and a red shirt with a thin jacket over it, the man looked almost innocent. That is, until you notice his emerald eyes lit up with malice and the stream of flames wrapped over his hand.

Jack screamed as the grown man struck him in the chest, charring his navy blue hoodie as the heat penetrated through the dense material, soaking into his skin. As he staggered back, he collided against the slight frame of a woman and gasped when she slashed her dagger at his back. He was immediately turned around and tossed to the ground, only to be held up by two others.

"Missed us, Jackie?" The teen faced his attacker, a black haired, Spring immoral who went as Raven.

If her body was a little thinner, and she wore a green dress instead of her pink one with cherry blossoms sewn into the neckline and a sash of white moonflowers at her waist, she would have looked a lot like Mother Nature. Sure Mother's looks constantly reminded him of Pitch, with her being his daughter and all, but she was an adopted mother to him. Thinking about the kindhearted, mother-like Goddess made a small smile grace his face.

However, Raven's green eyes shined with mockery as her voice held false concern, "Or dear, did I knock your head hard enough for you to not think properly?"

"Oh give the boy some slack, Raven," Sid drawled, walking up beside her as he twirled Jack's aged, wooden staff in his hands, "After all, he doesn't stand a chance against us when we have his dear weapon."

Annoyed as the two holding him up tried to burn his arms, Jack barked out, "Shut up and get on with it! I know you two and your minions are here for a reason."

The woman crossed her slightly tanned arms together, leaning back in amusement. "Oh Jackie, remember that there's much more than just the four of us."

Suddenly, Jack's body snapped back as a thick vine full of thorns grasped his waist and flung him to the nearest tree, its multicolored leaves pouring down on him. To his horror, the six spirits that left earlier returned, three females and three males, making a total of ten. Sid laughed at his terrified stare, chucking the staff in his hands into a pile of leaves. The wind promptly picked up in tempest, trying to damper their attempts on hurting him. However, it didn't stop the sprouting vines from wrapping around his arms and legs, effectively pinning him to the bark of the tree. The worn, and awfully familiar toned bark of the tree.

Jack nearly sobbed in joy when he saw the markings within the bark, the letters of a long forgotten language. From them, he knew that this tree belonged to the Nods, one of his pre-Guardian era friends, and they could help him if he sent a message.

The only thing was, _how_?

"Jack, did you just zone out?" Snapping back to the present, Jack gulped at how close his assailants were, the group standing behind Sid and Raven. Apparently, the former was talking to him. "Well, I suppose you will never know why we're here."

"Wait, why are you here?" Jack asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

Raven's crooked grin turned into a scowl. "How is it that, out of everyone, an irresponsible _, Winter_ immortal became a Guardian?"

 _Maybe I want what you have, to be believed in!_

Jack's eyes widened as Pitch's words filled his head. "Did you only come out of spite that I have believers now? I could help you get some, if you want. Why, there's some of my first ones outside this for—"

"We didn't come for pity, Frost," Sid interrupted, "We also don't need help from a _Winterling._ "

Another flame nicked his flesh, causing Jack to thrash around. The teen nearly cried out when the thorns on the vines dug into his skin even more, the spikes growing longer as a sprite behind them controlled it. As she neared, Jack got a better look at the newcomer. Only at 4 ft 10, the girl didn't look menacing at all, her innocent looking, yellow dress crisp as a daffodil. His interpretation for her instantly changed when the thorn in her grasp impaled his side, causing a wicked gash to form. If Jack knew any better, he'd be bleeding out heavily if his blood wasn't frozen.

"Did you actually think I'd be gentle?" the sprite cooed, whipping her reddish brown curls back with a sneer, "You know, I'm much older than you think."

"Really?" Jack panted, "I know how sprites age, and you look at least 10."

"Imbecile." Raven sighed when the little one tried to lunge at the bound teen, catching her before she could. "It's fine, Fiona. Don't let the Winter get in your head."

Jack glared at Fiona, wincing when a shock of pain shook his being, the girl looking back with her brown eyes. Their eyes connected for a second before she looked at the woman beside her. "Maybe we should get Felix to start waterboarding him. You did say that he's afraid of drowning, right Raven?"

"Fiona, let the leaders have their fun first," Raven scolded as she withdrew her weapon, "then, it's your turn."

Jack decided that now was _not_ the time to be silent. "Do you actually think I'd let you torture me? What about my friends? They'll kill you off if I don't."

"Friends? What friends?" Sid scoffed, "If you actually think the Guardians are your friends, then you're sorely wrong, kiddo."

Jack blinked. "What do you mean?

"It's obvious that they were using your power. Heck, they're probably just keeping you around because you remind them of Nightlight." Sid laughed when Jack just stared at him in confusion. "They never told you about him, eh? Of course not."

Before Jack could retort, Fiona whined, "Ugh, all you're doing is taunting him! Didn't we come here to teach him a lesson?"

"Not now," Raven snarled at the girl.

She just huffed back, "Fine then, I'm leaving."

Once Fiona flew off, the grip of the vines laxed, just enough to allow Jack to touch one of the markings around the tree. He lightly frosted the swirling runes, causing them to glow a harsh blue.

Raven jumped back once she saw the light. "What are you doing?"

"Calling a few friends." Jack smirked when he heard the twittering of birds. "By the looks of it, they're coming closer. I mean, they do live in Burgess's forest, so I wouldn't be surprised if they show up by now."

"What do we do, Sid?" Raven exclaimed, worry on the edges of her voice.

The man looked at him with fury. "Let him go, we need to get out before the boy's—"

Before he could finish his orders, a swarm of small fairies, all riding on a flock of birds, attacked the gang from all sides of the clearing, rustling the autumn foliage as the wind aided them. They all shrieked as small arrows that grew into full size hit them, shrieked as the warrior fairies slashed at them with their blades. Jack just looked on, thanking the gods that they were his allies and not his enemies.

He beamed when he saw that some branched off to free him. With the help of his powers, Jack broke out of his bonds, snatching up his staff that was held up by six fairies. Joining in the fight, Jack sweeped his staff, sending three spirits deep into the forest. The rest began to flee, except for Sid and Raven, who were frozen to the ground thanks to Jack. Even as a Summer spirit, Sid couldn't melt the thick ice, which left Raven with no luck of escape.

Jack chuckled, dark enough to scare even Pitch, tilting Sid's chin up with the hook of his staff. "And who was the one that said I had no friends?"

Just then, one of the Nods flew up to him, a red feather on his crown. Jack bowed his head in respect. "Hey there, Chief."

After a few twitters, Jack immediately withdrew his weapon from the man's face. "Shoot, I forgot about the Guardian meeting!" He then looked back at his two tormentors, giving them a scathing glare. "Don't ever harm me or anyone I love ever again, or else you will pay."

With that, he freed them from his ice, but stopped the two from leaving. "Hey, mind if you mask up some of my burns and welts? I don't think the Guardians would like it if they saw me injured."

* * *

An hour later, with a new, same hued hoodie and injuries half healed and concealed, Jack left the Oak of Sorrows, waving adieu to the Nods and the bound Raven and Sid. Apparently, his buddies wanted to deal with his bullies on their own, so he let them withhold the duo.

Whooping with a mask of joy, Jack slipped inside the Pole from a window kept open for him after he double checked that his hood was still on.

"Hey guys!" the teen greeted his colleagues, swooping down to crouch on an armchair.

His arrival was met by a hard stare, green eyes unimpressed as furry arms crossed together. "You're late Frostbite, by nearly two hours."

Jack faced the humanoid bunny, a Pookan nicknamed Bunny. "What can I say, Kangaroo? I'm a busy man."

He slid into the seat as Bunny scoffed, "What are you going about? Spring is coming soon, so of everything you're as free as North over there."

"Which is never!" Jack retorted, "Remember North is a busy man, unlike you Kangaroo."

"Mate, for the last time, I'm not a Kangaroo. I'm a bunny." Bunny playfully shoved him, accidentally brushing against one of the frost teen's welts. The boy winced slightly, but it wasn't noticed by the large anthropod. "Also Easter's coming up, so I can't waste any time skipping around and waiting for ya, Frostbite!"

"Bah, give boy break." North came up to the duo in his Christmas sweater and black slacks, the burly man clapping his hand over Bunny's shoulder. "He is only teenager. They do this all the time, no?"

"He's an _immortal_ teen, North." Bunny jabbed Jack in the chest, earning a yelp when he touched the gash from Raven's dagger. The Pookan didn't know he hadhurt him and continued, "And he needs to know what responsibility is. If I coulda done it my way, I would spank his arse till he understood."

Jack shrunk back in the chair a little when he heard the word "spank", whimpering slightly as Sid's words came back to him. Sandy, the only person who noticed the frost teen's peculiar behavior, walked up to the boy, a sparkling hand made of gold sand lightly tugging Jack's tan, twine pants.

Ignoring the two's conversation about him, Jack looked down at Sandy, grinning slightly. "Yeah Sandy?"

The short man created a checkmark above his head, a question mark next to it. " _Are you okay?"_

"Am I okay?" When Sandy nodded his head, Jack answered hesitantly, "I'm fine, why do you ask?"

Sandy made a hyperactive Jack that suddenly stopped moving and began sulking. _"You look tired."_

"Uhhh, I don't think I caught that." Jack bit the inside of his lip when Sandy moved to pull down his hood, dodging the man's attempt. "What are you doing, Sandy?"

His friend only tried again, causing Jack to promptly get out of his chair. However, Jack placed his weight on his broken leg, a shrill scream coming from his lips as he fell to the ground. Immediately, the other guardians stopped and turned towards him. Tooth zipped to his side, kneeling down as she abandoned her fairies near the globe. Soon, her mini helpers cae to them, twittering in worry.

"Sweet tooth, what happened?" Tooth asked as her dainty hands pressed gently against the boy's leg.

Jack shook his head, using his staff to get up. "It's nothing Tooth, I'll be alright."

"Don't blame the Sheila for worrying," Bunny accused, hopping to him, "And take off that bloody hood!"

"Not happening." Jack swung his head to avoid Bunny's hand, only for his hoodie to be tugged down by a strand of dreamsand.

Jack closed his eyes when the Guardians gasped. From what he saw at his pond, Jack knew that he had some nasty injuries: a burn along his jaw, his right eye swollen with the skin around it red, a split lip, a cut from his temple to his cheek, and topped off with angry red welts.

"Snowflake, what happened to ya?" Jack didn't miss the fact that Bunny called him by a nickname he used to comfort him.

Jack slowly backed away from his colleagues, hands held up. "It's not your concern, guys." He didn't notice that he was heading to his chair till he fell on it, the Guardians swarming him.

The close proximity got him to whimper slightly, and he tried to hold it in but failed. "It's already half healed, okay?"

As if finally noticing Jack's discomfort, North stepped away and called out, "Phil, prepare infirmary room!"

Jack blinked when he was lifted up by a cloud of dreamsand underneath him. "Uh, North?"

"Don't worry, my boy, we will take care of you!" North declared.

Jack didn't even get to say a word before Sandy threw a ball of dream sand in his face, promptly knocking the teen out.

* * *

Blinking his eyes open, Jack first noticed how white everything was. The walls looked as if they were bleached, plus the pillows and bedsheets were an eyesore against the metal bed frame. The second Jack shifted in his bed to get a better look around his room in North's infirmary was the second Jack realized he wasn't wearing his hoodie. Better yet, he wasn't wearing even his thin, white undershirt, and he somehow had on a pair of silken, snowflake pajama pants.

Shrieking, the teen fell to the floor in surprise, getting tangled up in all the wires of the machinery attached to him. A second later the door banged open, an annoyed Bunny rushing to him with the other Guardians following his tail. With their help, Jack got back onto the bed, his IV and heartbeat monitor off of him.

Bunny made sure to prop up Jack's right leg, which was in a light blue cast, and to realign the splint on Jack's left arm before saying, "Did ya know you have no heartbeat, Mate?"

Jack blinked for a few beats, then laugh. "Oh gods, did you actually think I was dead?" When his colleagues gave him unimpressed stares, his laughter trailed off. "Oh, you did, didn't you?"

"Bloody yeah, Frostbite!" Bunny exclaimed, "You never told us ya didn't have an ounce of blood running in you!"

"Sheesh Kangaroo, you should have noticed when I didn't smell like blood when I was covered in gashes." Using his good arm, Jack gestured to the bandages wrapped around his chest for emphasis.

North added, "What I wonder is why you were so injured? What happened, me boy?"

"Errr," Jack answered, curling up slightly under his thin, white blanket, "I was—you see—attacked by a group of spirits."

"Why Sweet tooth?!" Tooth fluttered up beside his bed, Jack regretting his next words.

"They always have."

Like a blow to their chest, his friends all became silent. Sandy had no images flashing above his head, North and Tooth weren't fussing at him, nor did Bunny scold him. Jack bit his lip in anticipation for when they'd all snap out of their stupor.

After a while, with the tension between them strong enough to cut with a blade, Bunny broke the silence. "How long?"

The teen looked away. He wasn't one to talk about his dark past, and he knew the Guardians already felt guilty for leaving him alone for so long, but he did owe them for patching him up, even if he was an unwilling patient. "They're just a big group of bullies that've been harassing me for the past two centuries. Typically they attack in groups of five, but today all ten attacked and my staff was knocked away—"

"Ten! And you didn't have your staff?!" Tooth interrupted Jack, glancing at him like a worried mother. "How did you get out?!"

This time he winced, knowing quite well that the Nods would yell at him if he told his colleagues about them. Thinking he was in pain, Bunny placed Jack's leg into a more relaxed position, eying him for his response. "Ehhh, I just managed to get out. They weren't too strong, anyway."

"Not too strong, Frostbite?" the Pooka deadpanned, "I've never seen as gruesome injuries as these since the Dark Ages, and that was when Pitch could corrupt people with a snap of his fingers!"

North met Jack's wandering eyes, reaching out to gently cup the boy's chin. "It is fine if wounded, Jack. Tell us, who were they?"

"It-it's not like you could find them," Jack slightly stuttered, "They're hard to find."

"Frostbite, we don't need yer rambling. Just tell us who they are," Bunny barked back, crossing his arms.

"It's fine, Kangaroo. Anyway, I already dealt with them," Jack explained, immediately imagining what the Nods were doing with Sid and Raven, "I don't expect another attack anytime soon."

"I dunno what sort of logic ya have, but they're going to attack you again. You said it yerself, they've been your bullies for two bloody centuries!" Bunny countered, still looking at him, unimpressed.

"Yeah, but now I'm a Guardian!" Jack responded, "They know not to bother me again."

North sighed at their bantering, of everything Jack needs rest right now. "You can scold later, Bunny. Now, Jack must sleep."

"What? I don't wanna sleep! I just woke up!" Jack whined.

The Pooka merely smirked before stepping back. "North's gotta point, Frostbite. You need some shuteye."

Sandy, who was ignored until now, rolled his eyes at the two, a snowflake and a stream of Zzzs forming above his head.

"I get it, I get it," the wintry teen grumbled, "Can't give me a break, huh?"

Tooth apologized, the fairy hovering in the air, "Sorry, Sweet Tooth."

"We leave now, Jack. Need quiet, no?" North promptly said, opening the door.

"Bye guys." With that, his friends all left, except for the Sandman.

"Really?" Jack looked at the golden man, raising an eyebrow.

Sandy merely laughed silently before sprinkling a strand of dreamsand, a smile on his face as he softly closing the door shut.

* * *

 **Ugh, I hate this SO MUCH, Gods. Ehh, I have an idea for my third oneshot, at least. FYI, the Nods are ACTUALLY canon xD, William Joyce has been hinting stuff for his Jack Frost book, and I couldn't help but absorb the info.**

 **Now, I dunno what to say other than to review, favorite, follow and all that crap.**


	3. The Secret of Friends

**Hey there! Turns out that I didn't forget about this :P. Even with my _lack_ of updates, I still received some epic guest reviews! Let's respond to them, shall we?**

 **sparkehannah (ch 1): Hey there, it's been a while lmao. Thanks for enjoying this, I really loved the idea of Jack being a bibliophile, but I couldn't find any perfect fanfics!**

 **sparklehannah (ch 2): Heh, what can I say? I could honestly be the Queen of Angst. I hope you've gotten the chance to finally read Restoring Balance like I've recommend you too :P. It's a one of a kind WinterCrystal angst!**

 **MOMOtheDOMO: Aww, thank you so much! I try to write the best of my ability ;P**

 **Summerstorm: Shoozy, you are a Goddess of Reading! I could NEVER imagine reading TKaM within an hour lmao. Honestly, I'd say his WPM is 500-700, I know mine is like 350 or smth xD.**

 **Ahh, I love responding to you guys! Although, I do need to get along with the update lol.**

 **One final thing, I did NOT read the final book when I started writing this. I did read Jack's book now, but I was already at 3.5k words, so I didn't want to trash this. Still, hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

Recently released from the North Pole, with North's approval and all that, Jack zipped across the icy tundra, whooping in joy as the cold wind whipped his white hair. Along with him, sharp gusts of cold wind sent bright snow into the sky, the particles of ice catching the glowing rays of sunlight. A trail of snowflakes followed the boy as he played around with his powers, causing a tempest to brew in the typically calm site.

Once his bottled up energy from staying in the Infirmary for a week depleted, Jack began to slow down his speed. Laughing, he promptly jumped out of the Wind's hold and plopped into a large, fluffy snowbank, sending a cloud of snow into the chilly air.

The teen sighed as he made a Snow Angel underneath him, sprinkling his dark blue hoodie and his tattered, twine pants with little dots of white. "Now that, that was fun!"

Leaping up, Jack bellowed out, "Hey Wind, take me home!"

Instead of complying, Wind knocked down her charge in a scolding manner, earning a snicker from him.

"Alright, I'll go back to North if you're that worried I'm still hurt." Jack allowed his friend to lift him up, traveling back to where he was earlier.

As he flew, two blurs of black and blue caught his attention. "Wind, slow down!"

Landing on the snow, Jack squinted as he looked for what he saw earlier. Something went past him, sending him onto his bottom. A second later, a blob of black passed through his vision, the boy instantly recognizing it as a nightmare.

Immediately, he sprinted after the creature, trying to free whatever was being pursued by it. Managing to catch it off guard, Jack shot a bolt of ice, freezing the nightmare. A flat piece of ice, sparkling with grains of black sand, was the remains of the creature.

"Are you alright?" Jack called out, hoping to see what he saved.

A bluejay, clearly not native to the freezing tundra, peeked out from under an ice formation, tweeting. Seeing Jack, the bird flew up to him, the boy gasping when he saw who was riding it.

It was a young Nod.

Outstretching his hand for the bird to land on, Jack frowned in worry once the fairy was rolled onto his palm, the small, blonde boy shivering as he wore nothing but a thin, green shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Gosh, what are you doing here?" Jack asked the youngster, bringing him near his ear, "Typically the adults are the ones who get me."

The boy chirped a response, Jack using his nature magic to interpret him, jumping up once he understood. "Pitch attacked the Oak of Sorrows?!"

With a sad nod from the fairy, Jack beckoned the wind, safely tucking away the youngster in his hoodie pocket before flying away, the bird crawling in beside its mount when it couldn't go any faster.

* * *

Rushing through the Burgess forest, Jack had such a horrible control of his powers that clouds began to roll in as he went past the sea of red and orange, snow starting to fall gently to the ground. All Jack contemplated about this slightly early snowfall was that he was lucky it was November, as people would panic even more if it had occurred during the summer. However, the thought was fleeting as his full attention was set on getting to the Oak of Sorrows.

What stopped him was when he stumbled upon his pond.

All around the frozen body of water, a battle unfolded. Horses made of inky, black sand, nightmares as they were called, rushed in from the west, where Jack assumed where Pitch's lair was, and arrows promptly smashed them. Along with the Nods were a group of four that were split between the two shores. On one side, North, in his black trimmed, red battle coat, slashed away with his pair of swords as Bunny's boomerangs flew from his paws, grey fur slightly glistening from sweat. On the other side was Sandy, the short man made of golden sand flicking his dreamsand whips while Tooth flashed through the battlefield in a streak of blue and green as her dragonfly like wings and feathers cut through the black sand.

The other Guardians were here.

Jack was slightly baffled at how the Nods and his new colleagues were working together that he didn't even care about them not calling him for help. Sure, it was nothing compared to how he, Vanish, and sometimes Shadowbent and even Mother Nature fought alongside with the faeries, but they all knew each other for centuries.

The Nods probably have never worked with the Guardians before! Still, they all managed to get the nightmares to flee into the forest in a matter of moments.

He was shaken out of his thoughtful gaze when a colossal billow of nightmares came back at the clearing.

Instantly, the wintry teen set down the two passengers in his pocket and rushed to the incoming wave of black sand, staff in front of him in a vice grip. He ignored the surprised shouts from the Guardians as he prepared himself to unleash a torrent of winter magic. However, just before he could attack, a flash of light vaporized the frontal nightmares.

Once the light cleared away, Jack could see a teenaged girl with the same ruffled feathers as Tooth standing between the two armies, her purplish feathers at the top of her head forming what resembled a crown. Two porcupine quills were in her blue gloved grasp, a brown, sack like bandolier slung across her waist. Adorning her legs were a pair of knee high, brown pants that resembled harem pants, two green boots fitting right under the ends of the banded pant legs.

Huh, so Vanish must've gotten a messenger too.

As the intruder fought against the nightmares, Jack slipped in beside her and fired shots of frost into the wave. His involvement got the others into action, the group successfully slashing away the remnants of the nightmare army.

Finally vanquishing the creatures, Jack smiled as he faced Vanish, a weird tingly feeling traveling over his body when her green eyes met his blue.

"Never seen you in a while, Frosty boy," Vanish greeted, elbowing him gently as she placed her weapons back into her bag.

Jack snickered as his nervousness went away slightly. "Well, what can I say? Being a Guardian sure is time consuming."

Before the girl could say anything else, Tooth rushed up to her and hugged her, skimming through the other's feathers for signs of injuries. Vanish merely shrugged off her worrying, older sister. "C'mon Toothiana, I'm perfectly fine!"

"Last time you said that, you had major burns all over your body," Tooth scolded, "I have a right as your older sibling to worry about you!"

"Geez," Jack whistled as he stepped away from the duo, "I didn't think Vanish made Tooth panic that much!"

However, the wintry teen accidentally bumped into a tall man leaning against his oak wood cane as he basked in the shade. Yelping, Jack fell to the ground on his bottom, the person solely responsible sniggering as he held out a hand.

When Jack glanced up, he met the black eyes of his one and only Werewolf friend, Shreeklavic Shadowbent. The man still looked like he did long ago, his red collar of his dark velvet pantsuit covering his long and thin neck, his hair shooting up like black, spindly tree branches.

Scowling, Jack slapped away his friend's hand and rose up on his own. "Shadowbent."

"Aw Frost, still mad about last time?" Shadowbent teased in his thick, Hungarian accent.

"Yes," Jack barked back as he walked off, past the stunned Guardians.

Bunny blinked before saying, "What was that about?"

"That idiot," Jack exclaimed, gesturing to Shreeklavic with his staff, "tried to bite me last year and scared the heck out of me!"

Vanish rolled her eyes at the dark man's antics, already escaping from being pampered to death. "Why did you bite the poor boy? You know his blood is frozen."

"Do not blame me for upholding werewolf tales," Shadowbent replied, arms crossed over his torso as his eyes lit up in amusement.

"Why didn't my silver infused snowballs in the 1950s work then?" Jack shot back.

The amusement in his black eyes grew even more. "Some tales are mere myths, young lad."

"Y'know what? I give up!" Jack raised his arms up in mock surrender before dropping them down. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Can I not come just for pleasure?" When Jack gave him a pointed glare, the werewolf continued, "Alright, a flock of nightmares had attacked my troops in the Carpathian Mountains as well, so I had been held back when the messenger came for me."

"Was messenger a Nod riding blue bird?" North asked.

"Of course," Shadowbent answered, "The Nods always send the bluejays when in danger. Did you not get one yourself?"

"One was found at Pole." North shrugged. "Don't know why they called us, we do not interact much."

Jack commented, "Probably for me. I mean, they must've realized you were treating my injuries I got from that attack."

"What attack?!" Jack grimaced when both Vanish and Shadowbent turned to the winter immortal in shock. Although, it was Vanish who questioned him further, drawing out her quill from her bag again, "Who got you this time?"

"Uhhhh." Jack honestly didn't want to reveal it to the Guardians, but Vanish was _very_ persuasive when she wanted to know something. "Sid Squad."

Vanish sighed in relief, placing her quill back. "Good, it's those idiotic imbeciles. For a second I was afraid it was the Firestorm."

"Oh, so you tell the Sheila but not us, Frostbite?" Bunny crossed his arms in annoyance. "Also, who the bloody hell is the Firestorm?"

"A band of fire spirits that also pester Frost," Shadowbent eloquently pitched in, earning a whine from Jack, "The group of five are able to overpower him, considering his winter magic is already weak against fire and summer magic."

"Hey! I have Twinetender!" Jack indignantly shouted.

Vanish raised a pencil thin eyebrow at the boy. "How's your staff's soul going to help you? It's wood!"

Jack winced when the Guardians' stares were starting to get suspicious, the teen regretting his two groups of friends meeting. "Better than nothing? Anyway, I think the Nods knocked the Sid Squad out of commission for some decades."

"Changing the subject now, are we Frost?" Shadowbent softly snorted when he saw Jack's glare.

"Shut up, Shadowbent. Now that I think about it, we need to look out for Pitch," the wintry teen suggested, stepping away to follow the direction where the nightmares went.

However, before Jack could leave the clearing, a British accented voice rang through the air, "At least one person remembers why they are here."

Jack jumped back in surprise when Pitch came out of the shadow of a tree in front of him, his black robe covering most of his greyish skin. He then sneered at the sight of the teen, flashing his dangerously sharp teeth, silver tinted golden eyes shining with malevolence.

"Why, I must thank Frost for allowing me to enlighten you with my presence. After all, the cloud coverage does make the land all the less bright."

"I can also dispel them too, Pitch," Jack responded, outstretching his staff as he prepared a battle stance, walking back beside Vanish, "Plus, you just got yourself even more outnumbered by including Vanish, Shadowbent and the Nods."

"Really now?" Pitch laughed, "If I were outnumbered, then how was I able to infiltrate the Oak of Sorrows?"

The mention of their home sent the Nods into a panicked tizzy, all zipping around in their birds as they rushed home. Jack almost ran off as well, but Shadowbent stopped the boy with his cane. "Don't. He is trying to split us."

The white haired teen closed his eyes, sighing. "Alright, but I want to know what's you ulterior motive by doing this, Pitch. All you're doing is roping in more people together."

"Am I not allowed to torment the one who is the bane of my existence?" Pitch smirked as he teased, reaching out to touch the boy's pale skin, "If Tsar Lunar had not thrown in his wild card, I would have been feared by all." The man gently patted his enemy's cheek before returning to his old posture, Jack rubbing where the man touched him. "I am simply returning the favor."

"As if that's the only reason why." Jack snorted as he crossed his arms. "My most logical guess is that you want to use their enchantments, but the Pole's library has many more spellbooks."

"I know." Pitch's face darkened considerably before switching back to a neutral grin. "However, I have seen them before."

"Bah!" North cut into their conversation. "Are you counting the fakes? You know yourself they were worthless!"

"They were merely slightly altered, North," Pitch responded coolly before slipping into the inky shadows, the Guardians still being able to hear him, "Although, I admit I have many more motives than that I share. For one, what intrigues me the most is dear Jack's fear. It is simply intoxicating."

The shadows suddenly became more grotesque and larger, curling up closer and closer to the group. In return, they all loosely circled together with Jack in the center. The winter spirit fidgeted in his stance, rocking slightly on his spread out feet, hands changing grip on his wooden staff as it was held in front of him.

Jack's eyes grew in surprise when he felt a cool sensation wrap around his ankle, yanking it away when he realized a shadow had grabbed him. Promptly, he tapped his staff on the ground and froze the black matter.

"What game are you playing at, Pitch?"

He didn't expect Pitch's gray hand to cradle his chin, nor did he expect his back to touch Pitch's robed chest. "Oh Frost, ever the inpatient one. If you know beforehand, then what is the point of playing?"

Jack gasped when the shadows on the ground below began to swirl around them. He barely could even hear North shouting "Leave Jack alone!" before his world collapsed into darkness.

* * *

Transporting out of the shadows, Jack tumbled into a heap, body banging against a tree. He scowled at Pitch as the man slinked out of the shadows calmly, hands clasped behind his back. While he rose, the boy was taking stock of where he was transported to, from the towering trees to the snow dusted, leaf covered flooring.

He squinted in suspicion as he touched the trees, blue lettering revealing itself with a brush from his staff. They were also in the Nod's language, like the carving Jack used to summon them when he was attacked weeks ago, but the bluish color meant that they were near…

"The Oak of Sorrows!"

Temporarily forgetting his company, Jack immediately dashed into the foliage, going deeper in the forest, which left him more vulnerable under the multitude of shadows. Nevertheless, the boy didn't care as he jumped from branch to branch in a mad dash, trying to reach his home as soon as possible. His speed only grew faster when he saw the red letters that sprung out as he touched wood, a sign that only meant danger.

Right when he was so close, a tendril of shadow wrapped around his ankle and yanked him down to the ground.

"Oh Frost, did you expect me to let you protect them?"

Jack quickly rose, turning around to face the Bogeyman behind him. "Does it look like I care about what you think?"

"You should when I have all the straws of this game," Pitch remarked, back turned as he strolled towards the location of Jack's home, fingers clasped behind him.

The boy followed with a growl, the growl soon becoming a gasp when he saw the destruction before him.

The place was covered in both light and darkness, fire and shadows consuming the branches of the Oak of Sorrow. The Nods were zipping around in a mad dash, some tossing small buckets of water as others became subjected to the elements. Tears welled in his eyes as he heard screams and wails coming from him near lifelong friends, as he heard the tree groaning in pain.

"Why?" The whisper left his uncooperative mouth.

"Why not?" Pitch smirked, a sneaky hand clamping Jack's shoulder. "After all, this tortures you, does it not? Being tied by my side as you watch all that you love being destroyed, horrible isn't it?"

As if finally realizing they were there, a swarm of faeries flew to rescue Jack from Pitch's clutches, only to be swallowed by a running nightmare. Similar to the abduction of Tooth's fairies two years ago, the poor Nods were trapped within the nightmare's hollow ribcage, more nightmares coming out to do the same.

"No!" Jack cried as he tried to freeze the nightmare going past him, but Pitch took his staff. "Give my staff back!"

"Once again, do you think of me as a fool?" Pitch then pushed Jack against a tree, a shadow tying him to the base.

Jack attempted to freeze the bond without losing control of his powers, only to get hit by his staff.

"Do not attempt to escape if you care at all about your friends' lives."

He glared into silver eyes. "What do you want from me?"

His captor laughed bitterly, making Jack scowl more. "Nothing more than what I desired before: to be seen and _noticed_. I was not lying when I told you I longed for a family."

"How will this even help you?" Jack asked as his confusion grew more, "You're not going to get anyone to like you by destroying joy."

"Maybe not; although, I can coerce you with it," Pitch admitted as his hand raised Jack's chin, "I may hate you considerably, Frost; however, I have an overwhelming sense of admiration for you."

He continued when Jack just looked at him with a frown, "You are still so innocent and naïve Jack, even after centuries of enduring the worst of mankind. If only I were to be the same."

"But aren't you controlled by fearlings?" Jack blurted out, remembering what North told him about Kozmotis Pitchiner, "They don't long to be innocent."

Pitch sighed. "Oh Jack, the fearlings' grasp has weakened considerably after the millennia, especially from our scruffle. Why else do I not transform children into fearlings anymore?"

The winter spirit blinked in shock, he couldn't believe him. "Then why do you live off of fear and terrorize kids?"

"Again, I still haven't escaped their grasp," Pitch explained, "After all, how could I when nobody loves me? My own daughter, the light of my existence, shunned me!"

"How does this involve me, though?"

Pitch spun around, looking at the scene of destruction he caused. "Do you have to destroy whatever scraps of dignity I have? I long for a companion, Frost, someone to hold me when I fall. If I had any warmth from anyone, them perhaps the fearlings' influence would disappear."

He peered at Jack, and the boy could see the intense emotion within those silver orbs, emotion that he's ignored. "You are the only one who understands the harshness of isolation without it tainting you. Help me Jack, be my friend and ally."

Jack wanted to facepalm so badly, so he just deadpanned. "Pitch, if you wanted a friend, you could've asked! The only reason why I didn't join you two years ago was because you kept tipping the balance, and while fear is necessary, too much can harm you."

"Really?"

The wintry teen groaned. "Yes Pitch, you could've told me, and this whole mess wasn't necessary. All you've done is make people hate you more."

"Oh…"

"Aye, aye, aye." Jack rolled his eyes. "Are you able to reverse the damage? I dunno about the fire, but at least bring back my friends?"

"Fire?" Pitch frowned before his lips made an "o". "Is that what you see from the illusion?"

"Illusion?" Jack questioned, "How is it an illusion?"

"All I have done is imprison them," Pitch stated, "I set up an illusion spell that would make you see your worst fear. Nothing more."

"Ohhh. Well, could you return everyone and dissipate the spell?" Jack requested.

"Of course."

Within a heartbeat, a tide of nightmares with bellies full of captives trotted towards them, only to be disintegrated. All the freed Nods flew towards him, twittering in worry. He only smiled, saying he was alright, as his bonds dissipated as well.

Finally, the mirage of the Oak of Sorrows on fire slowly vanished, the tree standing as tall as ever. The only difference was its outstretched branches as it tried to shield the young from being taken. Said branches were sparkled in black sand, but the sand soon fell off in a swoop and gathered into the growing ball in front of Pitch.

"Remember our deal, Frost." With that, Pitch left, bringing along with him whatever corruption there was.

Jack hadn't even noticed the dark clouds until everything brightened up; though, he did notice the cloud of faeries around him. "Don't worry guys, I'm actually not screwed for once."

When he saw their disbelieving faces, he groaned. "Oh c'mon, why can't people believe me when I say I'm fine?"

" _Maybe because you lie about it so much,"_ tinkled the head Chief.

"Oh shush, I need to go back to the others anyway."

Without another word, Jack zipped off back to his pond, hoping his friends were still there.

* * *

Once he came back, he wasn't surprised to see all of them quarreling about him.

"He can handle himself!" Shadowbent shouted, raising his spindly hands, "We have to make sure no more fearlings or nightmares come!"

"Bloody hell, it's obvious none are gonna come! Frostbite is in danger right now, so don't cha think it's stupid that we're sitting idly waiting for him?" Jack was surprised Bunny said that.

Still, he couldn't help but tease, "Aww, does the Kangaroo actually care about me?"

The teen went backwards slightly when Tooth tackled him into a hug, Vanish floating beside her sister. "Sweet Tooth, you're okay!"

"See, told you so Toothiana!" Vanish's smug smile slipped off as soon as it appeared. "Although, why do I have the feeling something else happened?"

"Oh no, it's fine," Jack tried to reassure her, except his faerie friends betrayed him as they shared what transgressed, "Oh c'mon, it wasn't _that_ bad!"

"Frosty boy, you do realize you're the only one who can understand them, right?" Vanish pointed out, "What happened over there?"

"It's nothing, Vanish, believe me."

Shadowbent crossed his arm as he gave Jack an unimpressed look. "Frost, really? Remember last time you didn't tell Vanish something?"

Ugh, he wish he didn't remember Vanish dressing him up as Jack Frost from Santa Clause 3 and sending a picture to everyone in the Spirit World. Last year was a _horrible_ year.

He heard a few snickers coming from the others, his cheeks frosting up in his weird blush. "Okay fine, I'll tell you! Just don't bring that up ever again."

"No promises."

He rolled his cerulean blue orbs and gave them a cursory synopsis of what occurred between him and Pitch.

"So, Pitch wants to be friend?" North asked, thick eyebrows furrowing, "You sure is not trick?"

"Yes I'm sure, North."

Bunny's face still held a seed of disbelief. "I still say not to give an ear to what he says, Frostbite."

"I mean, he doesn't seem all that bad…"

"All that bad?" Shadowbent mocked, "Jack, he tried to annihilate my troops and destroy your home!"

"Maybe it was just a way to seek attention," Jack reasoned, "I mean, I did that with you."

"Yes, but you are not Nightmare King," North explained, arms crossed.

Jack deadpanned, hands gripping his staff in a deadly hold. "Guys, he used to be a good guy. Maybe his other side is finally showing."

Vanish pursed her lips. "I'm sorry, Jack, but he's not going to…"

"He can, and he will!" Jack shouted before floating in the air. "I know he will."

With that, Jack zoomed off, leaving behind his mystified friends.

* * *

 **Meh, I'm not too satisfied with the ending, but I had to have some closure! Before I sign off, I want to say that I OFFICIALLY have a tentative updating schedule on my profile. Go ahead and check it out! FYI, Vanish was supposed to be in the final RotG book, but Joyce cut her off in the end. That and the Nods :( Plus, Shadowbent and Jack were supposed to be frenemies, but I guess he changed that too.**

 **Anyway, remember to Read & Review. Now, bye my fellow Guardians!**


	4. The Secret of Compassion

**Yep, it's probably been 6 weeks or something. Blegh, I'm tired and busy and stressed. Before you continue, t** here are some spoilers from the final book, and it is a continuation from The Secret of Friends. Yeah, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Landing in Antarctica, the one place where he could fully emerge himself in his thoughts, Jack clenched his teeth in anger. How could he not when not a _single_ person believed him?

Pitch needed help to escape from the fearlings holding him captive. Jack thought he had died back in the 1930s, but the boy's attempt to alleviate Kozmotis from the fearlings resulted in them becoming stronger. However, after the Guardians' latest victory, Jack felt their power weakening once more.

Sure he didn't have the scar from before, but they had to remember that part of Pitch's blood still ran in his veins.

"I can't believe this whole time we thought you were dead." Jack stood on the edge of a cliff, peering at the expanse of water below. "I should have known the fearlings ravaged your body again." He held out his left hand and fisted it. "I even felt them!"

Looking back, the teen flew to the dark, icy structure made of frozen nightmare-sand. Even though it was immensely darkened by the grains of black sand, the ice still sparkled in the sunlight.

A light within the dark.

"You know, it was a surprise and a relief to find you again," Jack said as he ran his finger across a spike, "Sure you weren't Kozmotis, but at least there was a chance you were alive."

His breath hitched after the last syllable, staring ahead at himself. "There is a chance you're alive…"

"But I ruined it!" he suddenly yelled, smashing his reflection with a fist, "I failed you. I failed to keep my promise with Emily Jane."

"You haven't yet."

Wide-eyed, Jack turned around and saw the weakened Bogeyman. His scowl was still there, but it was much softer than the last time he saw the man. His eclipse-like eyes were still there, but his irises held a more golden hue than their typical silver. His wispy, black robe was still on, but this time he wore a familiar scabbard from his old days as a general.

"Kozmotis?" Jack whispered.

The man shook his head solemnly. "Still Pitch, but I managed to escape their hold for a little bit."

"Is there anything I could do to help?" the teen asked, "I wished the others believed me, but not even Sandy does."

The man shook his head. "I ruined that chance by attacking the Oak of Sorrows. I had thought to follow the fearlings' commands and fool them into allowing me to seek refuge; however, the Guardians hate me more."

"Well, what else did you expect?"

"Indeed," the Boogeyman huffed, "but it was not like I had any other choice. It was a desperate attempt, and at least one person understood the situation."

"It still could've gone better." Jack raised an eyebrow. "Plus, I don't remember you as much as the others. I only remember Pitch Black, not Kozmotis."

Pitch gave a sad smile. "I forgot you only began remembering your past as Nightlight at our penultimate battle."

"How could I? I lost my identity because of you," Jack claimed, "I have my teeth, but I don't get how I was ever human." He sighed. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. We need a way for the others to believe you still have a chance for redemption."

"It would only be a waste of time, your help is quite enough—"

"Emily Jane!" Jack interrupted as an idea sparked in his head, "We can get Mother Nature to help us out!"

The boogeyman blinked slowly. "How do you plan to have her accept my change? Frost, she stopped trusting me after she saw the man I became."

"She still loves you," the teen explained, "Plus, she's the only other person that's blood bonded to you. If I sensed it, then she definitely has, and she'll do whatever it takes to get her dad back."

"They would not let me in their homes after the damage I caused," Pitch pointed out.

"That's why we'll leave you defenseless."

Before he could object, Jack already flew off, dragging a reluctant Pitch with him.

* * *

"I still find this quite amusing," Emily Jane commented offhandedly as the trio glided through the clouds, heading off to the Pole.

When Jack and Pitch came to Mother Nature's Empire, it seemed as if the woman was expecting them. After all, the security spells were unactivated, her guards didn't even give them a passing glance, and her meeting place was already swamped with plates of Jack's favorite confectionaries and numerous teas. It didn't take long to explain why they came, but it did take a while for her to stop giggling. After all, a pouty Boogeyman tied up by ice chains was hilarious.

 _Very_ hilarious.

"Do I have to be bound by pointless filigree?" the former general complained once more.

All he received was a mirth-filled laugh. "You were the one who said how North wouldn't let you in the Pole."

"How would this help?" Pitch questioned indignantly.

The teen shrugged. "I mean, you are defenseless with them on. Those chains are made of pure permafrost, a type of indestructible ice I make, and not even a roaring flame can melt them. North knows that because I typically frost up the projects that he uses as models with it."

"Do not forget my ice sculptures are coated in your creation, Jack Frost," Mother Nature added, "I do not understand how it is so clear! Normally, permafrost is cloudy, yet yours is not."

Flustered by the praise, Jack peered at the fading sunlight as they flew through yet another time zone. Glancing below, he could faintly see the outline of North's towering home against the white snow. "Hey Emily, we need to dive down before we miss the Workshop."

"Oh Jack, ever so vigilant," Emily Jane mused before following the teen's lead.

Soon, they dove onto the domed roof of the North Pole, Jack playfully tugged on the chain in his hand. "Oh come on, Pitch!"

"I still doubt this plan," the Nightmare King argued, meeting his daughter's knowing gaze, "What?"

"Father, they will believe it once they hear me say it," the woman countered, "After all, I can sense it as well."

"Hmm, I suppose."

Taking the mutter as a yes, Jack unlatched the skylight window and hopped in, a leashed Bogeyman and a hopeful Mother Nature following along. As Jack and Emily Jane landed perfectly into the Globe Room, Pitch was in a heap as he was tangled in his icy links.

They were met with 6 faces full of shock.

"The heck?" Vanish broke the tangible silence. "I know you make dramatic entrances, but you could at least have knocked on the door!"

"Frostbite, why the bloody hell would you bring Pitch here?" Bunny reached for his boomerang, only to be intercepted by his burly friend. "What, North?"

"No need to get defensive, Bunny," North proclaimed, grinning slightly, "You three, please have a seat."

Winking at the boogeyman, the boy placed himself in one of the chairs furthest from the fire, Pitch beside him. Mother Nature went on the other side of her father, leaving him in the middle of the arc.

"Dingle, bring cookies and eggnog," North called a passing elf over and ordered, "Make sure none are eaten like last time!"

"Wasn't last time when I came here?" Jack stared at the man. "Please don't say that I had elf slobber on my food!"

"Of course not!" North denied, but Jack's suspicions didn't die down.

Bunny rolled his eyes. "Emily Jane, could you explain why you and your father are here? You're the only one who's not a gala."

"Hey!"

Chuckling, Mother Nature ignored the glare sent at her. "I sensed something peculiar about Father through my blond bond with him, and I knew Jack Frost would come by as he must have felt the same. Not only that but he is able to comprehend what he senses, unlike me." Pausing, the woman turned to Pitch. "I did not think I would face the man that I once, and still, love."

"Are you saying that Sweet Tooth was right? Pitch is different?" Tooth tilted her head to the side in contemplation.

"Nah, there's no way!" Bunny argued, "If that wanka really did improve, then why'd he attack Jack's home a few hours ago?"

"I did it out of necessity." Pitch sighed, closing his eyes. "I had to please the fearlings; otherwise, they would not let me gain control. As it is, they hope to destroy me to shreds once I lose my grip."

"Please, you guys have to have faith in me. I'm not lying!" Jack pleaded, the teen knowing fully well that Kozmotis wasn't going to last for long.

Vanish put the quill dagger she was toying with into her bag, crossing her arms. "Frosty boy, even if you say is true, how are we going to pull out the fearlings? He will die if we try to get them out."

"I would rather die than be their puppet for one last day." The man deadpanned at the young fairy. "We could at least try, correct? What is the extraction process?"

"We need all relics and combine them, but Nightlight is Jack," North stated.

Gritting his teeth, the teen tried to come up with some plan. He wanted to restore Pitch to his old self, yet when the time comes, he can't do it! Although, maybe… "North, we can still do it. There's another way!"

"What's that gonna be?" Bunny asked, "Mate, your dagger melted away back in 1933. There's not much left to do."

"Well, you might just be wrong, Bun Bun. I can craft a new dagger filled with Pitch's sadness," His gaze fell on the Nightmare King. "and he's full of it. I just need a way to trap his tears."

Pitch glumly peered back, hand holding his head up. "Are you sure this would even work?"

"It has to."

* * *

 **It's short but sweet. Plus, brevity is gold *winks*. I hope y'all enjoyed my delirious writing. I legit rewrote most of it today xD I'm deaaaaad.**


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